Messer Ihlefeld
is a 21-year-old ace pilot of Delta Flight in the Macross Δ television series. As the second-in-command of the team, his callsign is "Delta 2". Messer's VF-31F Siegfried unit is colored in a white, black, and gray scheme and has a Grim Reaper marking on its back. He is nicknamed "Mesa-Mesa" (メサメサ) by Makina Nakajima. Personality & Character Messer is an enigma to most members of Delta Flight and Walküre. His serious demeanor constrasts with the more carefree members of his squad. His amazing piloting skill is a testament to his discipline and zeal. He never hesitates killing an ally if they were infected with Vár Syndrome. He is a true perfectionist, and chastises those that fail to perform above his standards. Messer owes his life to Arad Mölders, who saved him while on a mission in Alfheim. Messer also shares a deep personal connection with Kaname Buccaneer, and unbeknownst to her, keeps a special music playing bracelet that contains her last song as lead vocalist of Walküre, AXIA. In his downtime, Messer enjoys spending time with Chuck Mustang's younger siblings, but doesn't realize that Chuck's older sister, Marianne Mustang has a crush on him. History Messer was originally from the city of Marienburg, on the planet Alfheim. The planet was soon ravaged by war, caused by an outbreak of Vár Syndrome. Messer, a soldier at the time, was infected by the Var infection, and murdered his allies in cold blood. Arad Mölders rescued him and rehabilitated the troubled young man. Messer was able to suppress the infection thanks to a special bracelet that played Kaname Buccaneer's song, AXIA~Daisuki de Daikirai~. As the war with the Winderemerians progressed, Messer became more and more susceptible to Var attacks. Due to his illness, he is transferred out of Delta Flight to the Aramis System where he was to become a flight instructor. Messer first encountered Keith Aero Windermere, an Aerial Knight that fought for the Kingdom of the Wind, during a sneak attack on Al Shahal. Their rivalry would come to a head during a tense battle over the Protoculture ruins on the planet Al Shahal. Keith managed to land a fatal shot at Messer's cockpit, killing him instantly. Following his death, a special funeral ceremony was held on Ragna, where Walküre and Delta Flight tearfully bid farewell. Kaname Buccaneer was deeply affected by his passing, and kept his bracelet as a memento. Macross Δ: Passionate Walküre In the movie, Messer was not given a transfer order. He was just deemed unfit to fly due to constantly succumbing and recovering from Vár Syndrome. During his fateful duel with Keith, Messer was able to avoid the cockpit shot and their duel continued. However, his body gave out from his existing injuries being aggravated by the g-forces endured during the fast-paced flight and passed away in Kaname's arms. Relationships ;Arad Mölders :Messer shares an uneasy trust with Arad. Arad knows that Messer murdered his allies while infected with Var Syndrome. Despite this, he assigned Messer to Delta Flight, due to his brilliant piloting ability. Unlike Messer, Arad doesn't take things so seriously, and is always encouraging him to loosen up. ;Hayate Immelman :Messer has a distrust for Hayate's carefree attitude. Despite their differences, Hayate admires Messer's flying style. ;Kaname Buccaneer :Messer shares a personal connection with Kaname, even though he knows she likes spending time with Arad. Their relationship developed as she discovered his grim past, but was cut short after Messer's untimely death. ;Marianne Mustang :Marianne has a crush on Messer. She is devastated upon learning of his death. Gallery KeithCat1.jpg|Messer posing as a Voldorian cat person. MesserHayate.jpg|Messer served as a mentor of sorts to Hayate Immelman. KeithPilot.jpg|Messer is known as the "Grim Reaper" by his enemies. KeithInjure.jpg|An injured Messer still fighting the good fight. KeithSalute.jpg|Messer saluting Kaname Buccaneer, hoping she would sing for him. Notes & Trivia *In the July 2016 issue of NewType Magazine, Messer Ihlefeld was ranked the ninth best male character.NewType Magazine July 2016 References Category:Macross Δ Category:Macross Δ Characters Category:Articles in need of images Category:Male